Rain
by heatqueen
Summary: Elphaba wasn't much bothered by the rain. Not until the day Shiz got flooded and she found herself trapped on her bed with no escape. It was Galinda to the rescue - with a luggage trolley. Gelphie friendship humour.
**Rain**

 _~ A 'Wicked' One-Shot ~_

 _~ By Heatqueen ~_

Elphaba was used to the cold winter months; so much that the rain no longer posed a serious problem. She was long accustomed to the drizzles that so frequently interrupted her life, forcing her to alter her plans or change her route or remain locked indoors. The few times when she couldn't escape it, the burns and rashes that were brought to her skin were easily dealt with. A bit of oil and perhaps a bandage, if the burn was severe.

Even the proper downfalls did not pose much more than simple inconvenience. As the years passed, Elphaba adopted the idea that if was wet, she merely had to find somewhere that was dry. And there was almost always somewhere, even if found with difficulty. Once, at the age of twelve, she was at the market buying bread when a sudden rush of rain caught her unawares. The market was completely exposed on a little country road, with little shelter. But Elphaba, used to seeking out hiding places, quickly found a gap underneath one of the stalls that she crawled into, and remained for the next two hours until the rain passed.

Rarely was there a time that the rain posed a significant problem. Only once had Elphaba found herself in hospital, her body aching with deep, large welts all over her body from when a severe downpour soaked her clothes until they welded into her skin, causing blisters that swelled and burst, leaving behind ugly scabs. Had immediate action not been taken, the burns might have killed her.

No – the rain, in spite of the dangers it posed, did not bother Elphaba. Not until one stormy day at Shiz University. The brightness of summer was just starting to disappear. The sky was coated in dull grey. People shivered as they wore clothes not heavy enough to keep them warm, vehemently denying that summer should be over for at least another week or two. Elphaba, not yet cautious of the weather changes, was not fully covered, her green, skinny arms exposed to the elements.

The sudden shock of water sizzling on her skin was enough to send her into a panicked sprint as she tore towards Crage Hall. She paid no mind to the people she knocked as she darted past them, ignoring their cries to look where she was going. The good news was, by this point, most people were used to her taking off in the rain, so they did little more than grumble in annoyance.

Luckily, Crage Hall wasn't too far away, and Elphaba was back in under a minute. Dripping wet, her body tingling and her arms ruined with marks that resembled a knife grazed across the skin, she stomped to her dorm with several violent curse words lodged in the back of her throat.

The matter of her wounds was easily dealt with. Her dripping clothes came off, and soothing oil was applied. There was nothing deep enough to require a bandage, so Elphaba slipped on her nightgown and settled down to some reading, the rain thumping against the small, creaky window all the while.

The incident was soon forgotten – until the next day.

When Elphaba awoke it was to the sound of Galinda cursing. Through closed eyes she tried to imagine what it could possibly be that her roommate was grumbling about. Would it be that she had run out of her favourite shade of lipstick, or could she not quite find the perfect pair of shoes to match one of her many pink dresses?

Blinking sleep from her eyes, she sat up – and frowned. She sniffed and smelt damp in the air. She also noticed that her body felt tender. What in Oz? Then, she looked out into the room, and gasped.

'Sweet Oz,' she breathed.

No wonder Galinda was cursing. Covering the entire floor of the dormitory was a thick layer of water that went up to Galinda's ankles. Elphaba could see that Galinda had opened the closet and was frantically removing her dresses, the bottoms of which were soaked.

Elphaba groaned and looked around herself. She was completely and utterly trapped on her small island of a bed.

'Damn it.'

Galinda jumped.

'Elphie! Just _look_ at what the awful water has done to my dresses! They look absolutely hideodous and one or two of them are completely ruined!'

'Really? I'm sure you've got fifty or so other dress that will make up for them.'

 _'Elphie!'_ Galinda squealed.

'Yes my sweet?'

 _'Look at them!'_

Elphaba glanced at the sorry looking pile. It was just like Galinda to put herself first in these situations. Over the course of their friendship, the pretty, blonde thing still hadn't quite learned, in spite of knowing about Elphaba's quirks. Elphaba smirked. Now was a good time to tease her about it.

'Well thank Oz the water didn't cause them to sizzle and burn, so you only need to hang them up to dry, my sweet.'

'Sizzle and burn? But water doesn't… _oh.'_

She stopped in her tracks and flushed bright red. Elphaba grinned with satisfaction. Galinda stared at her, and Elphaba gestured to the water around her.

'Your dresses are lucky to have you to move them safely out of the way. I, on the other hand, am trapped.'

Bewildered at Elphaba's teasing, Galinda said defensively, 'Well for Lurline's sake, what am I supposed to do about it? You know full well I never really mastered sorcery. I cannot simply vanish all the water.'

'Perhaps Morrible can?' Elphaba suggested.

'She is on a trip to the Emerald City,' Galinda sighed.

'Well I cannot just stay here until the water drains,' said Elphaba. 'I would get very bored indeed. Whatever am I to do?'

An idea was starting to form in her head. The upside to not being able to do things, she realised, was that she could get other people to do them for her. She wondered how far she could push Galinda. What would the sweet little blonde thing be willing to do? Smirking to herself, Elphaba decided to test it out.

Galinda stood on her chair, adamant that her feet would not touch the water.

'Galinda,' said Elphaba, 'I am thirsty. As I am unable to move from my bed without getting severely injured, would you be a dear and fetch me a drink from the cafeteria?'

Galinda stared at her. It was soaking, both indoors and out, and she was rather impartial to the idea of leaving her treasured seat and getting herself wet. She put on her biggest pout and placed a hand on her hip.

'I certainly will not. My shoes would get quite ruined.'

'But Galinda,' Elphaba whined, in a way that was quite unnatural for her, 'I'm ever so thirsty and I'm quite sure that I cannot wait until the water has subsided. I would simply _die_ if I had to wait much longer.'

'Oh all right then,' Galinda snapped. Slowly and carefully, she began the process of lowering herself from the chair. She squealed as her foot touched the ground and the cold water started slipping through her shoe. 'You are a mean green thing, you know.'

 _Well that's nothing new,_ Elphaba thought with a snigger, as her despondiary roommate trudged out of the room. She thought back to the days when the words had been a proper insult. Last year, Galinda would have done little else but spitefully flick the water at her. That she was willing to wade through it on her behalf, however grudgingly, was an improvement. In fact, Elphaba felt sure that she could get Galinda to do almost anything at all. It would be fun to tease her for being a once-precious princess turned willing slave.

When Galinda returned it was with downturned lips and two steaming mugs of coffee. The two girls sat – Elphaba on her bed, and Galinda perched awkwardly on her chair, sipping their drinks in silence.

'What are we to do?' said Galinda. 'We can't just stay here forever.'

'If only we could get to higher ground,' said Elphaba. 'I imagine the upper floors would still be dry but I haven't a hope of getting there.'

'Well I do,' replied Galinda, and she started to shift in her seat.

'Wait.'

Galinda tilted her head.

'Yes, Elphie?'

'If you were to go, I would be left all alone, confined to my bed by the flood,' Elphaba stated, matter-of-factly.

'And?'

'And…' Elphaba paused. 'I would be quite lonely. Not to mention, it might rain again and then my bed would become flooded too.'

Galinda sighed dramatically.

'Curse your green skin for being so – so – _green!'_

Elphaba cackled.

'I suppose I have no choice then. I shall have to find a way to take you with me. But I'm not carrying you on my shoulders, Miss Elphaba! I haven't the hands to both lift my skirt above the water and carry you.'

'Because your skirt is such a priority.'

'Elphieee!'

Galinda was so flustered that she almost fell off her chair. Regaining her balance, she reluctantly climbed down again, wincing as she touched the water.

'I'll get you for this, you horrid green bean!'

With that, she left. Elphaba wondered if she would return, or whether she really would abandon her to the confines of the bed. Ten minutes passed. Elphaba stood up on the bed and reached for the shelves nearby. She was just able to grab the nearest book off it. Settling down to read, she decided she didn't really mind the water, just as long as it didn't damage her books.

A short while later, the peace was disturbed by the click of the door.

'Eeeeelphieeeee,' cooed Galinda. 'Elphie, I have come to rescue you from your terrible fate!'

Elphaba could hear something jangling as Galinda pushed the door further open and started to wrestle something inside. When she saw what it was, she threw back her head and cackled.

'Really, Glin? This is what you come up with?'

Galinda had brought in one of the large luggage trolleys.

'It's big enough for you to sit on and I can wheel you around and that way you won't touch the water. Come on, Elphie, you have to admit it's a good idea.'

'Actually it sort of is,' Elphaba agreed.

'Well then. Hop on.'

Elphaba did. And, just to spite Galinda, assumed the same pose that Galinda had taken on the very first day of Shiz, when Galinda had made her grand entrance upon her mountain of suitcases. It wasn't quite the same without a gigantic stack to sit on, but all the same, Galinda blushed wildly and punched her friend in the arm.

'Mean green thing,' she pouted.

'That I am, blondie.'

Then, there was more jostling as Galinda attempted to get the trolley – made heavier with Elphaba sitting on it – through the narrow doorway and down the corridor. By this point, Galinda had given up any hope of her feet remaining dry, and wheeled Elphaba placidly through the building until they eventually reached a stairwell.

'Thank Oz,' said Galinda. 'You were starting to get heavy.'

Elphaba was able to lower herself onto one of the higher stairs, safely out of the water's way.

'Thank you very much, my sweet. Your goodness is most appreciated.'

Galinda grinned. 'It was actually sort of fun wheeling you through the water like that.'

They spent the rest of the afternoon upstairs, drying off and seeking ways to entertain themselves. That afternoon, Madame Morrible returned from her trip and used her magic to vanish away the water. The girls returned to their now safe and dry bedroom, and the luggage trolley was returned to its proper place.

'Well there are worse ways to come and go,' Elphaba mused.

'Indeed. Though I rather think it might be fun to come and go by bubble,' said Galinda.

'You would,' said Elphaba, and the pair of them collapsed into giggles.


End file.
